Blog
Balancing the New Old American City
Posted by magosto on March 07, 2013 |
The focus of city revitalization efforts and policy prescription as of late has increasingly been focused on young professionals— in order to cultivate creative talent and innovation. Cities and municipalities have funneled money into amenities generally associated to the needs of this population, hoping to attract and retain these young people. Though this is generally deemed a vital step in creating a vibrant, economically feasible city, the effect of the transient nature of this group on the stability of the neighborhoods has historically been considered negative. The most common argument points out that homeowners have an incentive to invest in their community—primarily due to permanence and the overall neighborhood’s effect on property values.
Startup Competition Fosters Culture of Innovation in Cleveland and Beyond
Posted by Tara Sturm on March 04, 2013 |
Ryan Marimon and Brian Adams (no, not that Bryan Adams) are two software developers that are leading the charge in bringing this institution into the city of Cleveland, organizing the first Startup Weekend the city has seen in three years—which is taking place this weekend (March 8-10). They recognize the potential power of this competition to jump-start entrepreneurial energy within the city, even within a short time-frame.
Transit-Oriented Development in Cleveland’s Urban Core
Posted by Nicholas I. Emenhiser on February 20, 2013 |
As Cleveland’s inner city population has yet to stabilize, despite a massive influx of young professionals, the city has turned to transit as a promising fix for the city’s problems. Transit-oriented development (TOD) is one of many ways cities are remaining competitive with outer suburbs for the almighty real estate dollar, and Cleveland has established itself as a regional leader worth keeping an eye on...
Matchmaking for Good: Crowdsourcing and Revitalization
Posted by admin on February 13, 2013 | Featured Partners, Guest Bloggers
Matchmaking is a service often associated to websites such as E-Harmony, but by harnessing the power of crowdsourcing and social platforms in the urban sectors, these necessary resources can come into reach (and our communities can certainly benefit from finding a little bit of love). Whether connecting with someone on ioby to fund a local environmental project, Change By Us to create a link between resident and leader, or matching spaces with creative ideas on ArtHERE to crowdsource revitalization, there are an increasing number of tools that help to realize the visions we previously thought impossible by simply creating connections."
City Valentines
Posted by Tara Sturm on February 13, 2013 |
If cities gave out Valentines, what would they say? We took a quick stab at it, and decided to offer a printable and downloadable versions-- so you can share or give them to the thought leaders and city advocates in your life! What would your City Valentine say? Tweet us with the hashtag #CityValentine or post on our Facebook timeline and we'll pick one to create and post on our blog tomorrow!
Visualizing the Global City
Posted by Tara Sturm on January 09, 2013 |
There is no doubt about it: Our world is changing. Oftentimes it is difficult to understand the intensity of these changes, how our decisions affect us, or have a proper sense of scale. Thankfully, there are many people on this planet who are talented enough to break it down for us visually-- and at times with an interactive edge. Below are three examples of great graphics and interactive maps that give us some insight into the global shifts that are happening as the culmination of billions of separate decisions every single day.
Great Ideas from Around the World: And a Giveaway!
Posted by Tara Sturm on January 09, 2013 |
here are so many great initiatives, projects, and approaches to be found in cities all throughout our planet. We found a few to share with you, and would love for you to share some with us as well! We also know that everyone loves a giveaway, so we've decided to incorporate sharing these ideas with the chance to win a free printed copy of our City Vitals 2.0 Report!
Modeling the City Incubator
Posted by Tara Sturm on December 12, 2012 |
Incubators are an invaluable asset to the startup community—but what would a city incubator look like? What would it do? We will look at a few roles that business incubators take on, and try to understand how the same model can be applied to supporting cities.
Lee Fisher on the City 2.0: TEDxDePaulU
Posted by Tara Sturm on December 05, 2012 |
Our President and CEO, Lee Fisher recently held a talk at TEDxDePaulU-- with a focus on the City 2.0. He explains why cities are the primary drivers of growth, and how change rests at the intersection of great people and great ideas.
Getting into the Numbers: Empowering the City with Data
Posted by Tara Sturm on December 04, 2012 |
Like a machine, our cities are made up of a variety of moving parts—needing maintenance and upkeep to run properly. Our cars have convenient dashboards that alert us when the oil is running low or our engines are malfunctioning. Wouldn’t it be great if we had a method or technology that allow cities to monitor where problems are occurring? Better yet, a handbook that tell us what exactly we should be doing proactively to prevent any future issues?